A New Identity

We all have an identity. It’s a self-definition, a way we understand ourselves. Most often it lies in the background, informing all we do and say. It determines our patterns of thinking—the way we see the world.

The Apostle Paul gives us the best picture of what needs to happen with this identity once we come into Christ. He writes in Philippians 3:2-11.

2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul starts this section by telling the Philippians to watch out for those religious people who mutilate the flesh. This is a very graphic picture from circumcision, the rite where the foreskin was removed, the sign that a person had become a Jew. What Paul is saying essentially is that religious people, who use the flesh for their feelings of adequacy, are like those who would perform circumcision with a cheese grater. All they do is make a bloody mess of things.

Paul advocates a better circumcision—removal of the flesh—that comes in Christ.

Paul explains that he is not advocating this removal of the flesh because he is in any way inferior when it comes to the flesh. In fact, when it comes to the flesh he had far more reason to boast.

So, how does Paul define the flesh? He goes on to lay out the following categories (verses 5-6):

Racial Heritage: Paul says he was the supreme Jew. We might take our identity from our race and the culture associated with it. I am a white male. I have been a white male all my life. This means I relate and identify with the world through my white maleness. We all have a racial and family background. It has become our context, the way we have made meaning of our lives.

Position: Paul was a Pharisee, one of the strictest Jewish sects. He had risen in the ranks far above others of his age. For myself, I have held many positions in my life. I could use them to give myself a sense of worth. All cultures and races have these value markers. When we think, “They really made something of their lives,” we are identifying these markers.

Performance: Paul’s zeal was shown in his persecuting the church. It was his great accomplishment. I am closer to the end of my life than the beginning. At such times it is easy to reflect on accomplishments, to take pride in some of the things we have done that have made a difference.

Reaching the Bar: Paul says he was blameless according to the Law of God. He lived up to the strictest measures of the Law. Again, each of our contexts has an unwritten code of acceptance. We have a clear conscience when we live up to the expectations of our race/family.

So what did Paul do with his flesh? What are we to do with ours?

In verses 7-11 Paul tells us that he counts everything he was in the flesh, his racial/family/national heritage, including all his positions and accomplishments as loss. In fact, he counts them as dung. Think about that. Taking everything you have prided yourself with, everything you have accomplished, your whole life’s work, and thinking of it as utterly worthless, as dung, worthy of flushing down a toilet.

Why?

To gain Christ and be found in Him in that last day, whenever the last day is for each of us. This tells us that we cannot continue with two identities—our racial identity and our Christian faith. To do so is to allow the possibility that we will put our confidence in the flesh and forfeit what we have in Christ. Paul would not risk this. He threw away, counted as loss, everything of his flesh, his pre-Christian identity, like the heavy cargo causing a balloon to sink to destruction. As he tosses is all aside, he replaces it with the new identity he has in Christ. So what fills these categories now?

Heritage: We are members of the new humanity, inaugurated when Christ rose from the grave. We are of the race of Christ which surpasses all human categories. As Paul said, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28). We are part of God’s family. He is now our father. Christ is our closest brother as well as our Lord. Those in Christ are our brothers and sisters. Our entire identity is now related to who we are in Christ.

Position: Our position in Christ is one that is secured when we take hold of the wonderful salvation offered us in Christ. The position of sonship/daughtership is not achieved. It is granted to all in Christ. We do not advance in it. We start and end at 100 percent. We have arrived. This is not a source of personal pride, for all we have in Christ is His gift.

Performance: Here again, all we do in Christ, all that matters, is done by the Spirit working through us. Therefore, we cannot take any pride in it. We can thank God for working through us, but all the glory and praise goes to Him.

Reaching the Bar: In Christ, He has reached the bar for us. In Him we have perfection. Paul says it like this:
“… be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:9).

So, why toss aside everything we grew up valuing about ourselves, everything we took pride in? We do it to gain something far better—to gain Christ and the identity and worth that comes in Christ. Jesus says it like this:

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44).

So, how do we actually do this? How do we count the flesh as dung and redefine ourselves in terms of Christ? This is the purpose of the Christian life. It is a focused strategic program of redefining who we are. It happens through consciously denying our old identities (the flesh) and building our identity in Christ.

Paul writes to the Ephesians, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
           
We have the ability, in Christ, to put aside our old identities, our old way of life, and to put on the new self. It is like taking off one set of clothes and putting on another.
           
​Of course, we will, at times, fall back into the flesh. We will catch ourselves using the old mental pathways to define ourselves or others or circumstances and events. When we see this in ourselves, we must stop, confess this (admit it before God), and toss it overboard for the sake of gaining Christ. This is a process that will take a lifetime, but one worthy of the effort. Paul thought so. The reward? To be found in Christ at the end—to be part of God’s family forever. 

As people made in God’s image, we were created to have feelings. God has feelings. He cares about his people. He gets angry with injustice and betrayal. He loves us more deeply than we will ever understand. Jesus demonstrated the full spectrum of emotions. In this writing, we will consider sympathy.

Sympathy is the sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others. It is caring about others and their difficulties and problems. It is concern for the vulnerable (kids, the elderly, the impaired, etc.). Empathy is vital for any good relationships. The counselor Gary Collins identified empathy as one of the important elements to a successful marriage. He identifies empathy as, “a sensitivity to the hurts and needs of others and a willing attempt to see the world from the other person’s perspective.”[1]

This approach to life fits in well with being a Christian. Paul tells us to consider others more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). We are to care for others in their distress the way Jesus did (Luke 7:11-17). It says in Luke 7:13 that Jesus’ heart went out to the woman. The verb here is σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai) in the Greek. It means to be moved in your inward parts. We translate it as compassion (com-together, passion). We see this in Luke 10:33 where the Good Samaritan was moved to help. It is the word used of the father who sees his prodigal son returning. Compassion is what motivated Jesus to heal the man born blind (Matthew 20:34). (See also Matthew 14:14, Mark 1:41). In Mark 6:34 we are told it was what motivated Jesus to teach. Compassion was the driving force behind Jesus’ ministry. We should follow His example.

What does the Scripture say?

​The Psalms are filled with examples of people feeling deeply before their God.

Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

Ephesians 4:31-32 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Paul told the Philippians he had them in his heart (Philippians 1:7).

Love is the mark of the Christian (1 John 3:14).

1 John 4:7 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
 
What would cause a person to become indifferent, closed off to the needs of others?

1. A person can become indifferent because they are extremely selfish and self-centered. This is overcome by Christian disciplines, training your heart and mind to align with God’s. It takes time, but God will transform us if we are on His path.
2. Indifference can mask a fear of being hurt by others. This can be brought on by early experiences in life where the person was damaged emotionally. This hurt can become hatred. And the longer we hate, the more messed up we get emotionally. The only thing that will free us is forgiveness. Christian counseling, Christian friends, and Christian disciplines can help us overcome these hurts and become free to feel.
3. Some in professions where they deal day in and day out with other’s problems can become insensitive. This happened to me when I was a pastor. I saw so many people who were in terrible life circumstances, that I became overwhelmed. In time, I built a wall to shield my heart. This was something I had to overcome.
4. There are also some people who have identifiable conditions that make it hard for them to identify with the needs of others. Asperger’s Syndrome is a form of Autism that makes it hard for people to socialize and have relationships. People with Asperger’s can learn to overcome their symptoms with training and help.

How to become more sympathetic

Like most things, we can put ourselves on a path where we become more sympathetic.

1. Exercise Christian disciplines. Worship, pray, read the Bible and meditate on it, get involved in ministry, obey God, live under Jesus’ lordship in all you do, and fellowship with other believers. This is the most important thing you can do to soften your heart toward others. Receiving God’s mercy, makes us merciful, being forgiven by God sets us free to forgive, seeing how Jesus cared for others makes us want to follow His example.
2. Coming to terms with the amazing forgiveness that comes to us in Christ causes us to be willing to forgive all those who have hurt us in the past.
3. Being empathetic requires us to bring down our walls of self-protection. This only happens when we are confident in who we are in Christ.

 
Becoming like Christ not only means thinking the right things. It is also feeling the right things. We are told to guard our hearts (Proverbs 24:3). This means making sure our hearts are healthy and aligned with God’s.


[1] Christian Counseling, pg. 148

When we think of our world, we can see that it is not perfect. The universe itself degrades. Everything wears down or dies. Our bodies grow old and are subject to disease. People are not perfect, often being selfish or prejudice or hateful toward others, acting in violence or thievery. So, the question is, why?

There are only three possible answers to the question, why?

Firstly, we can imagine that the universe is just imperfect. It’s always been imperfect and we just have to get used to it. People get sick and die, it’s just the way it is. Life sucks and then you die.

Secondly, we can say that everything is perfect just the way it is and that it is our perceptions that are wrong. This is the position of Buddhism and the Eastern religions.

The third option, is that the universe was created perfect, but was corrupted. This is the Christian position. Paul says it like this, “…the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it…” (Romans 8:20).

The positions we adopt have consequences on how we live our lives. Those who take the first option tend to be pretty fatalistic. They have no hope. If they are realistic, they know that they and their loved ones will experience horrors in this life and that they will all die—this is just the way it is. This is why they focus on pleasure in this life—“Let’s eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” (1 Corinthians 15:32) There is no hope. It seems to me quite depressing and difficult to live with. It is the foundation for a life of addiction.

The second position, the Eastern one, held by many in the Eastern part of our world, requires me to retrain my mind to deny what is in front of my eyes. If I am consistent in this view, I have to declare everything as being equally good. So, my one nephew having cancer is just as good as my niece who just got married. There is nothing that is better or worse than anything else. Everything just is. I once heard the Eastern philosopher Alan Watts say that kicking your grandmother was just as moral as anything else you might do. I find this very difficult to accept. No wonder it takes people years of meditating and training their mind to achieve these levels of mind control in Eastern spirituality.

The third position makes sense to me. God created the universe perfect, declaring it, “Good.” But, as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, God subjected the entire universe to futility. This word, futility, is ματαιότητι in the Greek. It’s the same word used in the Greek translation of Ecclesiastes 1:1 where Solomon says, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” In Ecclesiastes, Solomon looks at the meaninglessness and bleakness of life.

​This view says that God tainted His own world (Romans 8:20). Why would He do this? For the most important possible reason—to lay the groundwork for salvation. When Adam sinned, he separated himself from God, the very person he was created to live in relationship with. Without this relationship, man is not man. The futility in the world—the disease and violence, etc.—is meant to make us say, “What the heck?” It makes us angry and gives us the deep feeling that this is not right—the universe should be different. It’s broken, how can it be fixed? This is where the gospel is such good news. Jesus came to free us from sin and to save the universe from futility. Paul tells us that creation will be liberated from its bondage when we are. The universe is connected to us. When we are made like Jesus (in the coming age), the universe will also be transformed. Revelation shows us that God will make a new heaven and a new earth and that they will be together as one. Best of all, we will be reunited with God in full fellowship. We get a taste of our liberation now, in Christ, but our full liberation comes after we die, or when Christ returns, whichever comes first. The consequence of this third view is hope. Yes, I weep with those who weep. I fully expect to one day succumb to disease and death. I see my body deteriorating before my eyes. Yet, I live in hope. The universe will one day be restored to its original glory. I will be given a new body, made by God’s hands that will never degrade. This third view fits the facts as we experience them and also provides us with hope for the future.
 
C. S. Lewis wrote: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” The Problem of Pain, pg. 93
 
Which view do you hold?

​Warrior Training:
No Neutrality
“If you are not for me, you are against me.” Jesus (Luke 11:23, Matthew 12:30)
 
            When I look at my own life in Christ, I notice that I tend to have three categories of thinking: There are the things I do for Jesus and God (worshipping, studying and reading the Bible, fellowshipping with other Christians, serving others, etc.). Then there are the things I do against God, the times when I’m selfish and sin. But these are not the only two categories in my life. I also have a third category—just hanging, not doing things for God, but also not doing things against Him. In this third category, I’m just living my life (working, watching TV, fixing things, goofing around, going on vacation, etc.).
            I think, if we were honest, we would see that this third category probably takes up the majority of our time. But, as I read the Scripture, I find this category really doesn’t exist at all. It is an invention of our culture, and a dangerous one at that.
             Paul calls on all Christians to see themselves as soldiers, doing everything—yes, everything—for the pleasure of our Lord. He writes, “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” (2 Timothy 2:4). He tells the Colossians, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17).
                So, does this mean that the way we live the majority of our life is wrong? Is it against God? Am I not allowed to mow my lawn? To cook my dinner? To hang out with my friends—unless we are talking about God? How am I supposed to live?
                The danger of holding this view is that it pushes our Christian life into the fringes of our lives where it can easily disappear. We simply get too busy living our lives to be Christians.
                Firstly, we need to understand what God actually calls us to do. As far as I can see, God calls us to do two things. 1) He calls us to show what it means to be a true human, remade in Christ into the image of God. This means we are to live a life that reveals God’s character. This means that in everything we do, we are to show God. We can still go to work, but when we do we need to work for God. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24). This goes for everything we do in our normal lives. We are to do all to the Lord.
            The Law of God is so helpful in this regard. When we read it, we see how God was telling the Israelites how to honor Him in all the little things they did in their normal farming and trading life. There was no separation between normal life and spiritual life. Everything was done before God and to show His glory.
            I challenge all of us to spend a day relating everything we are doing back to how it shows we are made in God’s image. When we create, it is because God, who made us like Himself, is creative. When we speak to others, it is to be as Jesus would speak to them, with love and empathy.
            The second thing God calls us to do is to share the Gospel. This is our commission. This is connected to the previous priority. When we live for God, in the big and small things in our lives, people will see God in us and will wonder at how we live this way. They will be impressed with our full identity, our constant joy, our deep-seated peace, and our tireless work ethic. They will know that we do not fear death, but know that God is preparing a much better eternity just for us. Most of all, they will see our deep love for Jesus.
            God will use us as an example of how they might also live. The Holy Spirit will work on their hearts, convicting them of sin and drawing them to the light of Jesus. If we are sensitive and praying with the Spirit for our oikos, the Spirit will provide us with opportunities to share the gospel.
            The benefit to living according to these two things—doing all to honor God and sharing His good news of salvation—is that, eventually, our entire life will be under Christ’s Lordship. We will see ourselves as thoroughly Christian. We will live here, now, as we will live forever in Heaven in God’s presence.
            So, the challenge. We need to identify that we have fallen for the lie that there is a neutral ground that is neither for God nor against Him. All is either for or against Him. We need to repent against this.
            We need to ask God’s Spirit to help us bring everything we do and say under Christ’s lordship. This will take some thinking, some mind-renewing (Romans 12:2).
            If we make this our constant habit of life, we will be able to say with Paul, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21).  
            

There's something wonderfully satisfying about typing the last word of a book manuscript. Today I finished the rough draft of Godsend 4. As those of you who have read the first books have noticed, things get darker and more scary as the story continues to unfold. This is the most gripping book yet. 

Don't get me wrong, there are fun parts to the book. You will meet some new amazing characters. There will be battles and the characters will learn and grow. There are some amazing new elements to this book, that I think you will really like. 

So what happens now? There are five steps before I can publish this book and put it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

1) I have to re-work the manuscript. This means starting over, fixing any errors, making it better.

2) I will copyright the manuscript.

3) I have a few wonderful editors who go through the manuscript for me and find any mistakes I missed.

4) I will go through the book again, fixing everything.

5) I have to come up with a cover. I have a couple of great artists I use for this. 

When all these are done, I will publish Godsend 4 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I'll keep you posted as I go through these steps.Thanks for giving me a reason to write. 

It seems whenever I run into a former student, they ask me, "So Mr. Apodaca. When are you going to write Godsend 4?

I am happy to report that I have over 100 pages of Godsend 4 written and the story is coming along very well. Alex and Katie, Conor and Hope, Daniel and Cornelius, Sariel and Cain, all make the story really come to life. Things are getting more and more desperate for the athletas as Satan gains more ground in his quest to take over the world and to storm heaven and dethrone God.

At the rate I'm going, the book will hopefully be ready to be published sometime during the summer. As you all know, writing a book is a big undertaking. I look forward to sharing Godsend 4 with you and for getting your invaluable feedback.

Oh, one more thing. Many of you have said that Godsend should be a movie. Well... I met a lady whose daughter absolutely loves Godsend. She has read all three books three times. Well, the lady is a screenwriter. Her daughter's love for the book has made her think it should be a movie. We are now in negotiations for her to write a screenplay of Godsend to sell to movie studios. Crazy, right? So, who knows. Maybe in a few years Godsend will be on the big screen, or the small screen. We shall see.

This Thanksgiving I am especially thankful to Susan Burdo, the girl who took a big risk and shared with me the fact that Jesus died for my sins on the cross and that I did not have to go to hell for my many offenses and sins against God. When I understood that Jesus took my sin on Himself, that God loved me this much, I was all in. Everything changed for me that day (May 2, 1974). Ever since, I have lived thankful to God for sending his Son. I have thoroughly enjoyed discovering and learning how to walk as a child of God in this life and anticipate an unhindered life with him for all eternity when this life comes to an end. If you do not know Jesus. If you have not placed your faith in Jesus' death and resurrection, take the time this holiday season to look into it. Read one of the Gospels in the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Ask a Christian you know about their faith. God wants to save everyone, but he will not override your will. He will accept you if you choose Him.

I'm reading the book, Hell on Trial, by Robert Peterson. It is literally scaring the hell out of me. The author demonstrates carefully, with Scriptural support, that hell will mean separation from God and punishment for sin (pain) for all eternity. Forever. We are all going to die. We will all be somewhere. My hope is that we all take Jesus seriously and throw ourselves wholeheartedly on His death and resurrection, our only means of escaping the wrath of God against our rebellion against Him.The amazing thing is that those in Christ get to go to heaven, a place where we will experience a deep loving relationship with God and all the happiness we were designed for. We choose every day where we will spend eternity. I pray we all choose wisely.

I set up the Amazon account for Godsend so that when you order the paperback books, you can also download the books on Kindle for free. Kindle allows authors to charge whatever they want. I didn't think it was right for anyone to have to pay for the book twice.